Now car windscreens that never fog

Braunschweig (Germany): A constant annoyance for motorists in the winter months, fogging and iced-up windscreens could soon be a thing of the past now that researchers have developed a windscreen that remains clear even in the harshest of winters and rain.

Fogging is mainly caused by the windows cooling down. Scientists have managed to develop a super-thin metal covering the glass which prevents cooling, according to researcher Bernd Szyska at the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Technology in the northern German city of Braunschweig.

The metal surface is only 140 nanometres thick so that occupants in a vehicle don`t notice the difference compared to a normal windscreen.

During the day the windscreen absorbs heat through infra-red rays. "The glass always remains dry and free of ice, even if the vehicle has been standing many days and weeks," Szyska told German radio in an interview.

However, the system has one disadvantage. People using their mobile phones illegally while driving a car won`t have much fun with the new car windows because the super-thin panel blocks out the transmission frequencies.

Szyska believes the system could be ready for production in about two to three years.